


Adrioden Blossoms

by madrastic



Series: 14 Day Quarantine [6]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Banter, Established Relationship, Fantasy, Gentle Sex, Massage, Masturbation, Mental Health Issues, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Orgasm Delay, Other, Post-Coital Cuddling, Praise Kink, Tenderness, compliments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:08:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25055212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madrastic/pseuds/madrastic
Summary: When Hollyhock has a bad day, his medic and partner has a solution for himDay 6: Masturbation
Relationships: Hollyhock (Aconite)/Marsh (Aconite), Original Male Character(s)/Original Non-Binary Character(s)
Series: 14 Day Quarantine [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808296
Kudos: 8
Collections: 14 Day Quarantine





	Adrioden Blossoms

Hollyhock was having a no good, very bad day. That was clear enough from the way he moved through Marsh’s room like a banshee on the plains, pacing and pacing, trying to evade the Lady of Midday. Not literally, of course, but the incessant walking was very reminiscent of the humanoid beings children were warned against. Banshees were nothing to play with.

“Are you going to wear a hole in the carpets, or are you going to tell me what’s wrong.” Marsh asked, setting their book on various autoimmune diseases that half-dwarves were more likely to develop based on parentage down.

The half-elf looked up at them, mouth set in an unhappy line. Hollyhock was always very visible in his emotions, as if his entire being was filled with a single, unchangeable feeling. The man was possessed by his anger, his happiness, his sadness. His emotions were loud, filling up his body and then some, spilling over to splash across carpets, paint walls, stain hands. Where sadness was rain, Holly’s was a monsoon, where joy was a hearth, Holly’s was a wildfire. It was like standing in the center of a whirlwind when he was around, gale tearing away.

Now, though, now there was frustration seeping out of his bones. He wasn’t wearing his eyepatch, his murky, entirely green eye on plain view where it sat in the burns on his face. More than anything, Marsh wanted to fix those arcane marks, the leftovers of a patronship union. His other eye, a pale blue, watched the medic like a wolf trapped in a cage, driving himself mad. Long black hair had been cropped short a week ago, now messed up with hands running through it again and again. Holly looked like he was going mad.

“Nothing’s wrong.” That was a lie.

Sighing, Marsh stretched out, brushing a lock of copper hair out of their eyes. They needed to invest in new hair ties, the old ones mysteriously going missing. The bed was soft under them, one of the benefits of being quartered at the palace. Fresh, clean sheets and neat floors had become their life, so different from their cabin in the middle of nowhere. They couldn’t lie, they preferred the cabin.

The Humanish leaned back, gold eyes on blue and murk. “Hollyhock.” It was time to break out a serious tone. “What’s wrong.”

He slumped into a chair, leaning back. “I just—I really hate everything today. I hate myself for using magic on people and I hate myself for leaving my home and not sending word back when I could. I-I wasted everyone’s time coming here and I’m wasting the royal family’s money and I—”

With a groan, he ran his fingers through his hair, chewing on his lip. Marsh really hated how unhappy the palace had made Holly, how the grounds had turned from interesting to familiar to confining. The man was used to wide expanses of forest, not the meager sliver the royal family had, he was used to new faces and new voices and new settings, not the same day in, day out rooms.

“What would you like me to do?” Marsh brought up a leg, resting an elbow on it.

A note of shame ran through Holly’s voice. “I don’t know. I don’t know and I just feel horrible.”

A tilt of the head marked Marsh’s interest. “I  _ am _ a medical professional—”

“It isn’t like that.” The words were a rush. “I… I just really want to go and get wasted, wake up in a bed with five people I don’t know, you know?”

“What if we try something similar, not with the five people but with the attention.” Was what they said, heart hurting for Holly’s pain.

They wanted to help him, to give him the best care possible, but they just weren’t equipped for mental things. Mental things and midwifery. If this would help him, then who were they to stop him? Above all else, Marsh would at least be able to ensure no one got truly hurt. If Hollyhock managed to seriously hurt himself, they would never forgive themselves for telling him no, for telling him to go see someone else. He was their boyfriend, after all.

Wide eyes blinked, like he hadn’t expected to get this far. “Um, okay. I can get drunk if you want…”

“You don’t have to, really.” They soothed. Holly could be a bit of a messy drunk.

“I… I kind of want to.” Holly was blushing so adorably.

Humming like they were taking notes, Marsh watched frustrated, pent-up tension ease slightly. “I think I have something that could work, then. And after that?”

“I-I can fuck you if you want?” The way he said it sent a chill down Marsh’s spine.

That wasn’t the tone Hollyhock used, not for them. It was young and frightened, like he didn’t know the right answer. His offer wasn’t so much an offer as a statement. If Marsh wanted to fuck him, no matter whether Holly wanted them or not, he would let them. That was chilling. That was the last thing Marsh wanted to hear.

“Hol, I’m not going to do that.” They heard themselves saying. “Are you okay?”

The half-elf’s brain helpfully informed him that he had given the wrong answer. “Y-yes, I’m fine.”

There was something in his eyes, a dark emotion. As if in a daze of worry, Marsh got off the bed, wrapping their arms tight around their half-elf. Maybe, just maybe, if they held him tightly enough for long enough, all those disparate pieces would slot together and he wouldn’t feel the need to punish himself over and over.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s really wrong instead of giving yourself something to hurt over?” Pain could be an addictive drug, more than anything, Marsh was familiar with that.

A quiet sniffle sounded as arms wrapped around them, breathing fluttering. “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

Right. No one ever did. “Your back hurts, doesn’t it.” Marsh could at least fix the physical issues.

“It might.” Holly said, as if Marsh had caught him in a guilty pleasure. “How could you tell?”

“You get all sad and frustrated when you’re in pain and I couldn’t see any other injury. Come on, lie down and let me fix it, and then we can talk about booze.”

They backed away and opened their arms for him, ready for a hug and kiss to make him feel even a little better. Dragging his feet more to save face than anything, Hollyhock accepted the hug, pushing his face into Marsh’s hair as they led the two of them to the bed. Holly was very physical, but Marsh wouldn’t have him any other way. Hollyhock was always the first to start a cuddle pile and the last to leave, the presence of his partners a great relief. Who  _ liked _ to be alone with their thoughts, though. As they reclined, Holly kept close, face firmly nestled in the crook of their neck.

Marsh hummed as they petted his hair, gentle but firm strokes reassuring. “Here, the bed’s warm and I can fix you up.”

“I-I…” They could hear him swallow. “I’m a little wound up right now…”

“Then you can jack off while I do it, I don’t care. I’ll have a track record.”

It drew a laugh out of Holly. Nodding, he pulled back enough to get his shirt off. “We should probably put a towel down. I think Aidia’d actually, genuinely kill us if we get anything on this bed.”

When Holly was right, he was right. Poking at him to scoot over, Marsh grabbed a towel from the nightstand and put it where he had lied down, enough coverage under his pelvis to make sure nothing got anywhere it shouldn’t. As he took off his shirt, Holly wiggled his hips almost teasingly, willing to joke around. That was a good sign. More than anything, Marsh just wanted him to be happy. Love did stupid things to them all.

“Right, yes, you’re a sexy beast, I get it.” They sighed dramatically. “Now what oils do you want, I picked up a weird one from the alchemist’s that’s supposed to feel really nice, but I haven’t tried it on myself. I also have the normal ones and a couple of mild muscle relaxants for pain. Your choice.”

The decision seemed to give Holly pause. “I  _ am _ curious about the new one, what’s it supposed to do?”

Cost Marsh fifty flecks and a trip out of their way to surprise their partner. “It’s advertised as a pleasure enhancer or something along those lines, but I’m pretty sure it just makes things warmer. Safe for internal use, though I don’t think we’ll be using it like that today.”

“Huh.” It would not be a good idea right now, especially if Holly had a bad reaction. “Maybe one of the normal ones, for now, at least. I wouldn’t want to waste it, and I’m sure our dear Ahren would want to play with it too.”

Oh, thank the gods. “Okay, which smell, I’ve got a bunch—”

“Whatever you want, I don’t mind.” Shimmying out of his pants, Hollyhock stretched out on the space allotted to him. “I really don’t mind, so long as it’s you.”

“Sap.” Marsh whapped his head gently, letting their fingers trail along a pointed ear long enough to feel it tremble under their touch.

As they rustled through their pack, looking for something suitable, they felt fingers on their calf, exploring smooth, bare skin. “You know, I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

Feeling the first tinges of a light blush on their cheeks, Marsh got out a vial of oil that smelled like adrioden blossom. It was a relatively common smell out west, as common as lavender on the coast. The flower grew in the Northwest Territories and mountains, their brain helpfully supplied, and was useful in treating anxiety, sleeplessness, and, in large doses, stimulant poisoning. In this form, though, it just had a nice, relaxing smell. Nothing transdermal.

“I am  _ not, _ and you know it.” They retaliated, flicking his hand lightly.

They weren’t. It wasn’t anything self-esteem related; Marsh just knew what they looked like. They weren’t anything special, truly. Just another odd looking Humanish. Distinctive didn’t always equal beautiful, and, especially in their worn bedclothes, Marsh certainly didn’t look like anything special. Their pale blue shorts, old fabric things that they’d had for years now, didn’t flatter them so much as contrast with the dark bronze of their skin, and their top, a short-sleeved blue, had been darned and stained with fabric cleaner enough times that they were pretty sure none of the original navy color had been preserved. Nothing special, really, just durable.

Mismatched eyes glanced up at them. “I’m not in the habit of lying, Marsh, and you are, without a doubt, the most gorgeous, stunning, intelligent person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

“Go and meet more people then.” Marsh was the farthest thing from stunning, and they didn’t care. Focusing on looking pretty just took time away from everything else they wanted to do. “And move your hand or I’ll tie it to the headboard.”

A flush graced Hollyhock’s cheeks as he withdrew his hand, resting it above his head. Oh, that was interesting.

“So, you’d  _ like _ that, huh?” They teased, leaning in to murmur into his ear. “Maybe another time, hm? Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Maybe.” Was all the answer they got out of him, pale cheeks stained red.

Chuckling, Marsh straddled Hollyhock, getting the oil ready. “Stick out your hand, this is to take care of yourself with.”

“Oh, you don’t have to.” Their half-elf said as he stuck out his hand anyway, receiving a portion of the oil.

“Oh, but I do.” Marsh rested their hands on Holly’s back, kneading the skin affectionately before they started. “You’ll complain the entire time about how dry a hand job without any oil is and whine at me to get some. I’m just anticipating the problem.”

With a snort, Hollyhock let that hand trail down, out of the way. “You know me too well, you know that?”

“I know you just as well as I want to, now hush and let me get to work.”

Obliging, the man quieted down as Marsh heated the oil between their palms, warming his muscles up with a few even, easy strokes to distribute it. Marsh had to smile at the pleased hum that slipped out of him, deep enough in his chest to be mistaken for a purr. Above all else, Marsh knew how to make their boyfriend feel nice. The brunt of the knots were in his upper back, stress and academy work serving to turn his poor half-elf into a knitted blanket.

As Marsh began to work on him in earnest, Hollyhock made all sorts of appreciative sounds, groaning into the pillows as the tension eased. Muttering little praises as to how well Holly was doing, how pretty he looked under them, how well behaved he was, even as Marsh moved lower, they took pride in watching his blush spread, the pointed tips of his ears turning red.

He  _ was _ very nice to look at, although a bit skinny. A few extra meals would fix that, hopefully, get some fat on those bones and lean muscles. As much as they loved him, Marsh would prefer that he be healthy. Apart from that, though, Holly’s skin was smooth, striped with the occasional scar from a childhood spent outdoors. According to Holly, the thin line going across the right half of his lower back was from a rock he accidentally got scraped against while being washed away in a river.

Pressing a kiss to the top of Holly’s neck and letting their breath fan out hot over the baby hairs there, Marsh had to bite their lip at Hollyhock’s moan, his hand slightly faster under him. This was a rather nice combination, good for relaxing and putting thoughts out of minds. Marsh very much wished they had that power, sometimes; making people forget their worries would be quite useful, if only to help their friends and partners.

“You’re doing great, Holly.” They kissed the sensitive skin behind his ear, hands wandering up to get the knots hiding in his shoulders. “So great for me. Is that better, if even a little bit?”

“Uh-huh.” It was more gasped than said.

Continuing on with their ministrations, Marsh occasionally dipped to press their mouth along the column of Holly’s neck, teasing him just how he liked it. All the poor thing could do was make little broken noises at their touch, moving his hand faster still, trying to grant himself more relief. A quiet voice in the back of Marsh’s mind wanted to take over for him, wanted to take Holly apart like an expert. That would be cruel, though. They were here to help him take his mind off of things.

“Stop touching yourself.” They said as he was getting close, working their hands up his spine.

Whining, Holly complied, stilling his hand. “Why—Marsh, come on—”

“No complaining. You have to say three nice things about yourself before you can cum.” Ahren had volunteered the new rule: every time they had sex to distract themselves, they had to say something nice about themselves. All of them. Even half-elves that used sex to escape thinking.

The groan was not one of pleasure but frustration. “Ahren isn’t here right now, though. Do I  _ have _ to?”

“You’d want me to  _ lie _ to our  _ boyfriend _ ?” Marsh said in mock horror. “Here. I’ll do it too, how about that? Would that make everything better?”

They had to look for his nod, but it was there. Good. That was progress.

“Okay, hm, let me think. I like how good I am with my hands. I like how I have a lot of comfortable clothing. And… hm… I like my taste in men.” At the last one, they blew a raspberry into Hollyhock’s shoulder, drawing a laugh out of the man.

“That’s cheating!” There was a smile in his voice. “The last one doesn’t count.”

Injecting as much innocence as possible into their voice, Marsh stilled their hands. “Oh? Really? Alright, then I like how my hair looks in the sun. There, three—four by some counts. Your turn.”

The laughter died as Holly tried to think of three things. The amount of time it took him to even start broke Marsh’s heart.

“Um… I like how my voice sounds when I’m singing.” That was hardly a thing to like about himself, especially when his patron made it perfect. “I like how skilled I am with knives.” Good, that was a good thing. “I like—I like how I look when I smile.” His voice dried out on the last one, like it had taken energy to force out.

“Good, you did a very good job.” Marsh let their hands move again, rubbing soothing motions into Holly’s back. “Why don’t you keep on going with your hand. I’d hate to see the oils dry up in the time it takes you to say three more nice things.”

Instead of a rebuttal, Holly just resumed jerking himself off as Marsh kissed the crook of his neck, nipping and sucking gently. Without a doubt, Holly made some of the best noises Marsh had ever heard, so responsive and so loud, too, even as Marsh slowly tortured him. Not that he didn’t like it, from the way he was moaning and gasping out their name, trying to urge them for more.

“You’re so, so pretty like this,” Marsh hummed, feathering their lips against the shell of Holly’s ear, “all laid out under me. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” It was more a groan, but Marsh would take it.

Tracing the tip of Holly’s other ear with a finger, Marsh exhaled, slow and hot, on the sensitive skin. “Why don’t I tell you just what I love about you. A non-exhaustive list, if you could believe that.”

A breathy laugh slipped out of their half-elf as he moaned. “You’ll spoil me.”

“So be it. Argue with me, and you aren’t getting to cum tonight.” They kissed his temple. “I love how smart you are.” His neck. “I love all the pretty sounds you make for me, how you make sure everyone knows who’s making you feel like this.” In between his shoulder blades. “I love how much you care.” The small of his back. “I love you. All of you, no matter what.”

Lingering there, they made sure to leave a hickey where only they would see it, them and Ahren. Holly was their partner, after all, and he had said it was always alright to leave marks. His hand had lost its rhythm, his toes curling as the man whimpered, sweat beading on his back as his breath hitched, his hips rocked into himself with little, aborted motion. It was hard to move your hips much when there was a Humanish pinning you down to the bed.

Crying out Marsh’s name, Holly’s muscles jumped and twitched, seeming to undo all of Marsh’s hard work until they loosened, the man relaxing as he fell limp under them. Breathing hard, Hollyhock came back to himself as Marsh ran their hands over his skin, checking for any knots they might have missed, as careful as always. Above all else, they would never hurt him. If they did, they would truly never forgive themselves. Hollyhock trusted them so much, and to break that? It would be the worst thing Marsh could do to him.

“How was that, now?” They hummed, pressing chaste kisses to the back of his head. “Any better.”

With a groan, Holly wiped his hand on the towel and sprawled out. “Yes, much. You were right, as always. The next time I’m having messy thoughts, it’s time to jerk off or whatever we learned here.”

Fighting down a snicker, Marsh ran their fingers through his hair. “No, stupid. The next time you’re having messy thoughts, you let me know so we can sort it out and talk about it. That, or get some energy out of you. Maybe Ahren could take you for walks.”

“You know,” there was a smile in Holly’s voice, “when I was a kid, one of my dogs would take me for walks—no, I’m serious!” How could Marsh keep from laughing at that? Really. “I think my mom put her up to it, but she would take me for walks until I felt better about everything. It sounds funny, but it helped a lot.”

“Then it’s settled, Ahren’ll take you for walks. He needs to do that exercise therapy regimen that the royal doctor put him on anyway.”

“No, anything but that. Please, Doctor Marshmallow, just fuck me silly instead.” Holly joked, a deep contentment settling into his bones.

Rolling their eyes, Marsh flicked his ear. “Right, because I can drop everything I’m doing, at any time in my day, and bend you over my desk. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? For me to make you drool onto the desk while I work on my degree plan for the Physician’s Academy, huh? Maybe I can put that into my thesis, how to make particularly tenacious half-elves settle down for a nap after fucking their brains out.”

“I wouldn’t protest it.” Holly wiggled his ass under them. “But why don’t you cuddle me now? I’m sad and only you can fix it. It’s a Marsh-shaped sadness, Doctor.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Marsh got off of him and Holly rolled over, cleaning himself off with the towel before throwing the offending absorbent fabric off of the side of the bed. Opening his arms for them, Marsh nuzzled into his bare chest, letting themselves be held as Holly took comfort in their form, in their scent. Even under the layer of oil, they could still smell him, like iron and the forests under a rainstorm. It was funny how a person could smell so much like a place.

“You know, you’re lucky I already know most of the things in my classes.” They mumbled, brushing a lock of their copper hair out of their face as Holly pressed closer. “I don’t have to spend so much time studying.”

Holly hummed, the sound reverberating in the enclosed space of his arms. “Every day, I am thankful for that.”

“You better not fall asleep.”

Snorting, Holly pressed a kiss to Marsh’s forehead. “I’m not going to fall asleep.”

“You always fall asleep after you cum.” Their warning was one of experience.

“Gods, Marsh, I’m not going to fall asleep, why don’t you believe me?”

Of course Hollyhock fell asleep. It wasn’t even a question. He was out and snoring within the half-hour, and it would break Marsh’s heart if they woke him up to leave, so it seemed that they were falling asleep at barely ten in the evening too, like some sort of child. It didn’t matter that Holly slept like the dead, they weren’t going to give him the punishment of waking up alone. Damn that endearing man. He was going to be the death of them one of these days.

**Author's Note:**

> liked these characters? see more of them in [Aconite!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21825511/chapters/52086310)


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